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Four goats from traveling petting zoo test positive for rabies after visits across North Carolina
Health officials in North Carolina warn of possible rabies exposure after four baby goats from a traveling petting zoo tested positive for the virus. The goats were euthanized, and anyone who had contact with them between late July and late August is urged to contact local health authorities.
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Rabies Exposure Alert
Health officials in North Carolina are warning of a possible rabies exposure linked to a traveling petting zoo that visited Durham County and several other communities in August. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) said four goats from the petting zoo, operated by Farm Adventures, tested positive for rabies and have been euthanized.
The zoo made stops in Durham County on Aug. 16 and Aug. 23 for separate private events, according to NCDHHS. It also visited Statesville, Lexington, Watauga County, Burke County and Mocksville between July 28 and Aug. 27. In Lexington, the zoo was part of a back-to-school bash.
NCDHHS advised anyone who had contact with the goats at Farm Adventures' location in Harmony, North Carolina, or at any of its mobile events between July 28 and Aug. 27 to contact their local health department. The department said the petting zoo held off-site events involving children and elderly individuals across multiple counties during that time.
Details from Officials
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services was first notified of a potential rabies exposure at Farm Adventures on Aug. 28. The North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health confirmed on Aug. 30 that three baby goats had contracted the virus, health officials said. A fourth goat was not tested but was presumed to be infected.
Officials believed the goats were exposed to rabies by a skunk that entered their pen in late July, according to multiple reports. Farm Adventures said the goats were kept in a separate pen and were too young to receive vaccinations when the skunk was found. The zoo said it was able to remove and dispose of the skunk, but later learned it had bitten the goats.
"We had no clue the goats had gotten bit," Farm Adventures said, adding that the animals showed no signs of infection. The zoo said it sent the body of the first goat to be tested after it died. It was unclear when the skunk was found in the pen.
Health Guidance
Health professionals may determine whether people who had contact with the goats need further examination or precautionary medication, NCDHHS said. The department advised people who are concerned to call before going to an emergency department or urgent care clinic to find out whether treatment is needed and where it is available.
Rabies is a fatal but preventable virus spread through bites, scratches, or infected saliva, according to the S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health officials said symptoms can take weeks to appear and include flulike illness, weakness, fever, headache, and a prickling or itching sensation. Without treatment, rabies is almost always fatal in humans, the state health department said.
North Carolina has not reported a human case of rabies since 2011, according to the state health department. Nationally, about 100,000 Americans receive a rabies vaccine after a potential exposure each year, the CDC said. The CDC characterizes rabies as "a rare but serious public health concern."
Zoo's Response
Farm Adventures, based in Iredell County, said in a Facebook post that the four goats—named Molly, Maggie, Cow and Uno—were euthanized to prevent further spread of the virus. The zoo said it is monitoring its other animals for signs of the disease and is working closely with public health officials, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, and animal control.
"These past few days have been incredibly difficult for us, and we appreciate your understanding and support during this challenging time," the zoo said. Responding to a comment on Facebook, the zoo said it hopes its customers are unaffected. "We would never intend to put anyone in danger," it added.
NCDHHS said it is working with event organizers to notify those who may have had contact with the goats. A call center has been set up to answer questions at 336-242-2371. No other animals were affected, officials said.
How each outlet told it
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Framing: The headline emphasizes the positive rabies test results in baby goats at a mobile petting zoo.
Facts Included:
Four baby goats from a North Carolina mobile petting zoo tested positive for rabies and were euthanized.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said anyone who had contact with the baby goats at Farm Adventures’ location in Harmony, North Carolina, or at one of its mobile events between July 28 and Thursday should contact local health officials.
The petting zoo held off-site events involving children and elderly individuals across multiple counties within that time frame.
Health professionals may determine whether people who had contact with the baby goats need further examination or precautionary medication.
Without it, rabies is almost always fatal in humans, the state health department said.
Farm Adventures said in a statement posted to Facebook that it is monitoring its other animals for signs of the viral disease.
The affected animals, our four precious baby goats, have been euthanized to prevent further spread.
The baby goats were too young for vaccination and were bitten by a skunk that was found in their separate pen.
It said it was unaware the goats had been bitten, and that they did not show typical symptoms of the disease.
After the first goat’s death, the petting zoo sent its body to be tested.
It was unclear when the skunk was found in the pen.
Skunks are one of the animals most often found with rabies, according to the CDC.
People can get rabies through pets, wild animals and other humans through a bite, a scratch or even infected saliva.
It can take weeks after exposure for early symptoms to begin, including flulike illness, feeling weak, fevers, headaches and a prickling or itching sensation.
North Carolina hasn’t had a reported human case since 2011.
Roughly 100,000 Americans a year receive a rabies vaccine following a potential exposure, according to the CDC.
It characterizes rabies as “a rare but serious public health concern.”
The petting zoo said it’s cooperating with state and local government officials.
We are working closely with public health officials, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, and animal control to address this issue and ensure the safety of our animals and clients.
The petting zoo, responding to a comment on Facebook, said it’s hoping its customers are safe.
I am truly concerned about anyone that has been able to enjoy our animals.
Framing: The headline emphasizes the positive rabies test results for three goats at a North Carolina petting zoo.
Facts Included:
At least three baby goats at a North Carolina petting zoo have tested positive for rabies and a fourth is believed to have contracted the virus.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services was first notified of a potential rabies exposure at Farm Adventures in Harmony on Thursday.
The North Carolina State laboratory of Public Health confirmed Saturday that three baby goats had contracted the virus.
A fourth goat has not been tested but health officials assumed it had also been infected.
Officials believed the goats were exposed to rabies by a skunk that entered their pen in late July.
The NCDHHS advised impacted individuals to contact their local health department to determine whether medications are needed.
Farm Adventures said on its Facebook page that the four animals have been euthanized.
The goats were kept in a separate pen and were too young to receive their vaccinations when the skunk was found in their pen.
Farm Adventures said they were able to remove and 'dispose' of the skunk, but later learned it was able to bite them.
Farm Adventures stated, 'WE HAD NO CLUE THE GOATS HAD GOTTEN [BIT],' and that the animals showed no sign of infection.
Rabies is a fatal yet preventable virus spread from animals to people via bites and scratches, according to the CDC.
Rabies poses a 'serious public health threat,' with fewer than 10 deaths reported in the United States each year.
About 100,000 Americans are vaccinated against rabies after a possible exposure each year.
Framing: The headline emphasizes the connection between four rabid goats and a traveling petting zoo that visited Durham County.
Facts Included:
Four goats from a traveling petting zoo tested positive for rabies following stops in Durham County and several other North Carolina communities.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is warning that four goats from the petting zoo tested positive for rabies.
The zoo was in Durham County on Aug. 16 and Aug. 23 for separate private events, according to NCDHHS.
The zoo also made stops in Statesville, Lexington, Watauga County, Burke County and Mocksville between July 28 and Aug. 27.
Public health officials are working with event organizers to notify those who might have had contact with the goats.
In Lexington, the zoo was part of a back-to-school bash.
NCDHHS said anyone who may have been impacted should contact their local health department.
People who are concerned should call before going to an emergency department or urgent care clinic to find out whether treatment is needed and where it is available.
Farm Adventures, the traveling petting zoo that organized the events, said the goats were euthanized to prevent any further spread of the virus.
The zoo said the goats had been bitten by a skunk, which led to the rabies diagnoses.
The goats were named Molly, Maggie, Cow and Uno.
Farm Adventures is based in Iredell County.
No other animals were affected.
A call center has been set up to answer questions at 336-242-2371.
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Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status is Contested when two claims on this page negate each other; otherwise it counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimFour baby goats from a North Carolina traveling petting zoo tested positive for rabies and were euthanized.
ClaimThe North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services advised anyone who had contact with the goats at Farm Adventures' Harmony location or at its mobile events between July 28 and Thursday to contact local health officials.
ClaimIt can take weeks after exposure for early symptoms to begin, including flulike illness, feeling weak, fevers, headaches and a prickling or itching sensation.
ClaimPeople who are concerned should call before going to an emergency department or urgent care clinic to find out whether treatment is needed and where it is available.
ClaimThe North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services was first notified of a potential rabies exposure at Farm Adventures in Harmony on Thursday.
ClaimFarm Adventures said it is working closely with public health officials, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and animal control to address this issue and ensure the safety of its animals and clients.
ClaimAccording to the petting zoo, the goats were kept in a separate pen and were too young to receive their vaccinations when the skunk was found in their pen.
ClaimFarm Adventures said 'These past few days have been incredibly difficult for us, and we appreciate your understanding and support during this challenging time.'
ClaimFarm Adventures said 'If you have been in contact with the affected animals, please be aware that the health department will be reaching out to you.'